ATK to study battlefield imagery technology for DARPA

ATK will carry out work to study innovative surveillance technology for battlefield imagery under a new study contract awarded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The contract will see ATK support DARPA for the Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) programme.

SeeMe aims to develop enabling technologies to provide reliable surveillance data to the warfighter in the field, using small, low-cost satellites that are launched quickly to support the quick tempo of military operations.

ATK said that its work will focus on transitioning advanced, imagery-processing algorithms used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to space to take advantage of the resulting higher-power processing to save size, weight and power, as well as cost, on satellites. The company has partnered with Logos Technologies and University of Southern California / Information Sciences Institute for the study contract.

Tom Wilson, space systems division vice president and general manager, ATK, said: ‘This award allows ATK to demonstrate our ability to deliver on every aspect of design, development and integration for low-cost, low-risk flight systems. We have proven ourselves as an industry leader in developing cost-effective spacecraft systems and tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) programmes through the success of the military's TacSat-3 and ORS-1 programmes. Our team is prepared to provide similar innovative solutions to DARPA in its mission to provide large global coverage to warfighters at lower cost.’

The company is also hopeful that its development of the new A100 small satellite product line, aimed at serving the microsat market, could provide a unique capability to transition SeeMe technology to industry, research, and military operational markets.